Californio Voices

In the early 1870s, Hubert H. Bancroft and his assistants set out to record the memoirs of early Californios, one of them being eighty-three-year-old Don José María Amador, a former "Forty-Niner" during the California Gold Rush and soldado de cuera at the Presidio of San Francisco. Amador tells of reconnoitering expeditions into the interior of California, where he encountered local indigenous populations. He speaks of political events of Mexican California and the widespread confiscation of the Californios' goods, livestock, and properties when the United States took control. A friend from Mission Santa Cruz, Lorenzo Asisara, also describes the harsh life and mistreatment the Indians faced from the priests. Both the Amador and Asisara narratives were used as sources in Bancroft's writing but never published themselves. Gregorio Mora-Torres has now rescued them from obscurity and presents their voices in English translation (with annotations) and in the original Spanish on facing pages. This bilingual edition will be of great interest to historians of the West, California, and Mexican American studies. "This book presents a very convincing and interesting narrative about Mexican California. Its frankness and honesty are refreshing."--Richard Griswold del Castillo, San Diego State University

[Because Savage’s Introduction to the Amador Memorias is in English, it will not be edited and will contain his original abbreviations. Some

Spanish words were kept in the English translation of the Memorias for stylistic purposes. These words will be put in boldface and defined in the Glossary.]

THOMAS SAVAGE’S INTRODUCTION

One of the main objects I had in view in visiting Santa Cruz, in June 1877, was to see this ancient Californian said to have been born in 1781, that is, 12 years after the foundn. of the first mission in this Cal., and only abt. 5 years after that of San Francisco.

I had been assured that Amador had a clear head, an amiable disposition, and a large stock of informn. which he would notwithholdg.

My disappointmt was great on discovering that he had moved away from

Sta. Cruz years before, but was living in Watsonville. I went to seek him, and found him on a small farm about 41⁄2 miles from town, in great poverty under the care of his youngest daughter, who is married and burdening with many children. Amador is also quite crippled from the effects of paralysis which attacked him two or three years ago. The house was such as is found inhabited by the poorest class of Californian rancheros.